Glencoe

Wednesday, 9 May 2012

Time for Rangers Supporters Groups to grab initiative.

Now that Bill Miller has walked away where do Rangers go from here?

Duff and Phelps were quickly out with a statement about three other bidders and how a deal can still be done by the end of the season. Problem is no-one believes a word they say anymore. They are living examples of the boy who cried wolf.

Rangers fans in particular seem to be the most vociferous against D&P. They blame D&P for not sorting this out sooner. They blame them for no-one wanting to make an offer which is acceptable to the lengthy list of creditors.

Bill Miller also blamed D&P. He blamed them for not giving him the full picture of Rangers' troubles. Like dodgy second hand car dealers they polished the outside but forgot to mention the car had no engine.

Bill Miller also blamed the fans. He claimed to have received thousands of emails telling him in no uncertain terms where to stick his Yankee ass. There were also a couple of Yank Go Home banners on display at Rangers' last home game...of the season.

Ally McCoist blamed the SFA panel for trying to kill the club off.

Kenny McDowell blamed Craig Whyte for the state of the club's current troubles.

Craig Whyte blamed the David Murray and the old board.

David Murray blamed Craig Whyte for duping him.

Hugh Adam blamed David Murray for adopting dodgy tax strategies.

I could go on and on and on, but you get the picture. There is a lot of finger pointing going on around Ibrox.

And that's not even mentioning the money owed to Ticketus who cleared the club's debt to Lloyds...via Craig Whyte.

Or the big tax case, the small tax case, last year's PAYE and VAT, footballing debts, or all the small local businesses still waiting on their payments for goods and services rendered.

And when the time comes to deal with the double contracts issue there will be a lot more hand wringing, pointing, shouting, blaming, denying, etc.

Ally McCoist is the only one of the above to admit Rangers did wrong and must be punished in some way.

I have a lot of time for Ally. He's a football man, not a businessman. To say he is out of his depth in this debacle is more than an understatement. He is drowning not waving but, like the captain of the Titanic, he will not depart the sinking ship.

His actions last week in calling for the names of the panel to be made public weren't one of his high points, but considering the daily pressures he must be under we should excuse him this time. If only others were so forgiving of Neil Lennon for his misdemeanours, as the pressures he's been under for a longer time are just as, if not more, serious.

I wish them both all the best when this is over.

But when will this be over?

Even the experts can't agree on the answer to that question. Every day brings unexpected twists and turns. No-one can state with authority how the end game will be played out.

The consensus, though, now appears to be that liquidation is inevitable.

Of course, some, like Phil Mac and Rangers Tax Case, have been pointing that out for so long they are almost blue in the face.

Let us assume the team currently known as Glasgow Rangers are going to die.

It needn't be the end.

Here's what I think Rangers fans should do.

The first thing they must do is admit that there is no way back for the current Rangers.

Forget about a CVA. Acknowledge the realities of liquidation. Embrace a newco.

Forget Craig Whyte, Brian Kennedy, Paul Murray, or anyone else who claim to have the club's interests at heart.

Forget about preserving all the history and titles.

Concentrate on the future.

Football is all about the next game, not the last one, or the one before that.

Whereas many Rangers fans believe the SFA to be their enemy, they might turn out to be the best ally for the future.

Rangers supporter groups should form a co-operative and apply to the SFA for a licence to run a football club.

This new debt-free club could start in Division Three and play its games at Hampden.

The same supporters group could lobby the SFA to expel the current Rangers, leaving Craig Whyte, David Murray, Ticketus, D&P, etc to deal with the financial fallout that they are all embroiled in.

Now what is Craig Whyte, or anyone for that matter, going to do with an empty, decaying Ibrox Stadium? It is a Grade B listed building so won't be knocked down. It won't be turned into a Tesco.

Such is the history of the place no-one will touch it.

Craig Whyte or whoever stumps up for it during the liquidation process won't be able to sell it.

When the time is right the new Rangers will be able to buy it back for a nominal fee.

Rangers fans may not like the idea of 'walking away' from their current club, but it is probably the quickest way to get back to winning championships in the future.

If the Blue Knights or anyone else want to invest in the new Rangers then they can apply to the Supporters Co-operative who will decide whether or not they have the club's best interests at heart.

Drastic times call for drastic measures. It is time to look forward instead of looking back.